{"id":15434,"date":"2022-05-30T12:30:05","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T02:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/?p=15434"},"modified":"2024-06-24T12:16:31","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T02:16:31","slug":"meet-dr-popi-sotiriadou-managing-high-performance-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/2022\/05\/30\/meet-dr-popi-sotiriadou-managing-high-performance-sport\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Dr Popi Sotiriadou\u2014Managing high performance sport"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Source: Courtesy of Dr Popi Sotiriadou.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This month we met with Dr Popi Sotiriadou to find out more about her research and experience as a high performance sports consultant.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Sotiriadou is an Associate Professor of Sport\u202fManagement at Griffith and a foundational member of the <\/span>Sport and Gender Equity @ Griffith research hub<\/span><\/a>. Along with this, Popi is also a Senior Fellow with the Higher Education Academy and winner of Australian and Griffith Awards of Excellence in Learning & Teaching.\u00a0To add to this impressive resume, Popi is co-editor of the Journal of Sport Policy and Politics and leads research grants with several partners and institutions across Australia and internationally.\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the core of all this work is Popi\u2019s research\u2014research that aims to foster the benefits of sports on community health and economic and social stability.\u00a0Popi\u2019s focus is on improving the ways sport organisations and providers can advance sport development.\u00a0Advances that allow organisations to successfully attract, retain and nurture participants; from their athletes and coaches to their volunteers and supporters through policy development that informs their programs, events, competitions and practices.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What path led you to your area of research?\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I started my career in sport as an elite athlete in yachting. I was with the national yachting team in Greece from the age of 13 and continued racing and representing Greece and Australia until 2000. During this period, I completed a double degree in Exercise Science and Physical Education with Honours and in 1993 I went to the UK to continue my studies with a Masters in Sport Management at Loughborough University.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These studies and my elite athletic career drove my interest to fulfill a doctorate on sport management and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, examining \u2018The sport participation legacies and impact of elite athlete success at the Olympics on sport participation\u2019. The expertise I developed over time on sport development processes, systems, athlete management and marketing has resulted in invitations to act as a consultant to the International Olympic Committee, Sports Australia, Sarawak in Malaysia and the Queensland Academy of Sport.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2018I heartily recommend this field of research or study for anyone who has an interest in the ways sport is managed, planned, organised and delivered for any group in society.\u2019<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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What do you believe has been your greatest impact as a consultant?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of my greatest career achievements was editing the first\u2014and still the only\u2014textbook available on \u2018Managing high performance sport\u2019. As I am currently preparing the second edition of the book, it has been a great educational source for both students as well as practitioners in the field.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another highlight in my career has been my consultancy for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with numerous international sport federation and Olympic committees, which resulted in significant advocacy in sport gender equality. The impact of the IOC grant that I led is present in the governance theme of the IOC\u2019s <\/span>Gender Equality Review Project<\/span><\/a>, which provides a solutions-based approach to achieving gender equality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What advice do you have for upcoming researchers who are interested in this area of research?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sport management is a relatively new and multidisciplinary field that integrates the principles of management to the sport industry. It is a growing and exhilarating area of research and one that is always topical, exciting, relevant and useful to communities, society and globally. People like to read and talk about it, play it or watch it. \u202fThe\u202fsport\u202findustry is fast-paced,\u202fexciting and full of diverse opportunities. As we draw closer to the Brisbane Olympic Games, sport management and event legacies will provide rich insights into preparing and hosting the Games in 2032.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I heartily recommend this field of research or study for anyone who has an interest in the ways sport is managed, planned, organised and delivered for any group in society, including:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n